CRES students quiz Red Sox players for NESN

YORK — The New England Sports Network visited Coastal Ridge elementary School and Little Harbour School in Portsmouth, N.H., on Thursday to take video of local students asking questions to their favorite Red Sox players.

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By Susan Morse and Joey Cresta

seacoastonline.com

By Susan Morse and Joey Cresta

Posted Dec. 26, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By Susan Morse and Joey Cresta
Posted Dec. 26, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

YORK — The New England Sports Network visited Coastal Ridge elementary School and Little Harbour School in Portsmouth, N.H., on Thursday to take video of local students asking questions to their favorite Red Sox players.

No Red Sox players were there, but Linda Pizzuti Henry, wife of team owner John Henry, fielded the questions that will later be asked of players David Ortiz and Mike Napoli, and manager John Farrell, according to NESN producer Justine Pouravelis.

The kids' questions will air on television during pregame shows throughout the year and when games are played on "New Hampshire Day" or "Maine Day" at Fenway Park, Pouravelis said. Linda Pizzuti Henry said she came up with the idea as a way to get the players engaged with their young fans.

"Players are asked questions all the time by reporters," she said. "Kids ask more fun questions (and) the players love talking with them."

The segment, called "Red Sox Small Talk," started last year with Boston area schoolchildren.

This year, one school from each state was selected to take part. Pouravelis said NESN chose Little Harbour and Coastal Ridge because of their proximity to Boston.

At Coastal Ridge, a couple of students' questions were lobster-related, such as "What kind of seafood do you like?" said Pouravelis. They also asked questions such as what a player might pack when going hiking. One student challenging Ortiz to a salsa competition.

Second-grade teacher Kaitlyn Foster said NESN contacted the school a couple of weeks ago to see if it could meet with the students.

"The kids were beyond excited," Foster said. "We showed them a couple of the clips."